Tips to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree

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After decorating my own skinny Christmas tree, I came up with tips that helped me put mine together for the holiday.

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Some of us live in smaller homes and don’t have room for a full-sized Christmas tree. In the past, I’ve typically decorated with artificial tabletop Christmas trees.

Its slender shape makes it perfect for small living rooms, cozy corners, entryways, bedrooms, and even kitchens.

My Decision to Have a Skinny Christmas Tree:

This holiday season, I decided to decorate a pencil (I call it skinny) Christmas tree. I live in a one-bedroom apartment, so I don’t have much space for a taller tree. But this was the year I was determined to have a full-sized tree.

I found my skinny Christmas tree at Michaels, and luckily it was half price. While at Michaels, I looked at three sizes of shatterproof ornaments: small, medium, and large.

I decided right away that large ornaments would not work. So I chose medium-sized ornaments because I already had smaller ornaments at home. I figured both sizes would work well for decorating a skinny tree.

Decorating My Own Skinny Christmas Tree:

At first, I thought of placing the tree in my living room. But since my dining space is just a continuation of the living room, I ended up putting it in the corner of the dining space in front of the French doors.

It was the perfect spot because you could see it both indoors and outdoors. At night, the little twinkle lights were so beautiful when I was outside on the patio with the dogs.

At first, I thought about not decorating the tree. It looked so pretty with just a sprinkling of lights. But then I decided to add ornaments.

I chose red, white, gold, and silver as my color theme.

When I first started decorating my skinny Christmas tree, I was a little hesitant. Where did I start? The top or the bottom? I’d never decorated a pencil-thin tree before. 

Where to Begin:

I began by tying ornaments to the skinny Christmas tree branches with jute, which I choose to do every year. This keeps my curious pets from pulling the Christmas tree decorations off the branches. Then I decorated downward in layers.

I put quite a few at the top, then sat down and looked at it for a while. Then, as I sometimes do when uncertain, I decided to sleep on it.

The next morning, I decided that the way I’d been decorating the skinny tree just wasn’t working. I started thinning out the ornaments and laying some aside.

That created a less cluttered, more understated look. (I’ve learned that sometimes it helps to sleep on a decorating decision.)

I mixed in a variety of small ornaments to balance the top of the tree, then added larger ornaments here and there.

Finally, the tree looked just right, and I was satisfied. I sat down to gaze at my skinny Christmas tree with bright, sparkling lights.

Tips to Decorate a Skinny Christmas Tree in 5 Images:

1. Choose a Decorating Theme:

Instead of trying to make it look like a traditional, full Christmas tree, embrace its narrow silhouette and give it its own personality.

Old-Fashioned Christmas

Use red and white ornaments, vintage-looking glass baubles, little wooden decorations, gingham bows, and a few sentimental ornaments collected over the years.

Soft and Cozy Neutral

Decorate with ivory, champagne, warm gold, natural wood, and soft fabric ornaments. Add warm white lights for a gentle glow that feels peaceful on winter evenings.

Cottagecore Christmas

Try dried orange slices, little fabric hearts, miniature pinecones, red berries, paper ornaments, and handmade bows. This look is especially lovely in a cottage-style or vintage-inspired home.

Vintage Colorful Christmas

Mix colorful glass ornaments, shiny tinsel, small nostalgic decorations, and a few playful touches. A skinny tree can become a delightful little showcase for treasured Christmas collections.

2. Use Ribbon to Create Fullness:

Ribbon is one of the easiest ways to make a skinny tree look beautifully decorated.

• Use narrow velvet ribbon, plaid ribbon, or gingham ribbon.
• Tie small bows and tuck them into the branches.
• Let a few ribbon tails hang vertically to emphasize the tree’s height.
• Try a simple ribbon spiral for a more traditional look.

Avoid using too much wide ribbon, which can overwhelm the narrow branches. Smaller bows spaced throughout the tree often look more balanced.

3. Choose Ornaments that Suit the Narrow Shape:

A skinny tree has less branch space, so you don’t need as many ornaments as you might use on a full tree.

• Small ornaments: Miniature baubles, tiny houses, little bells, and small woodland creatures fit nicely.
• Special ornaments: Display a few favorite heirlooms or handmade ornaments where they’re visible.
• Long ornaments: Icicles, narrow drops, and elongated finials help draw the eye upward.
• Lightweight decorations: Felt hearts, paper stars, fabric ornaments, and small wooden pieces won’t weigh down delicate branches.

One helpful trick is to hang a few ornaments closer to the trunk as well as along the outer branches. This adds more depth and sparkle.

Make the Lights Count

Lights can make a skinny tree feel magical, even when its branches are sparse.

• Choose warm white lights for a soft, traditional glow.
• Weave lights from the trunk outward instead of wrapping only around the outside.
• Add a few extra lights near the middle to create depth.
• Use battery-operated fairy lights for a delicate, twinkling effect.

If your tree already has built-in lights, add ornaments first and then decide whether it needs extra lighting.

5. Decorate the Base:

The bottom of a skinny tree can sometimes look a little bare, but a pretty base gives the entire arrangement a finished appearance.

Consider these ideas:

• A woven basket for a natural cottage look.
• A vintage metal bucket for farmhouse or nostalgic charm.
• A simple plaid or velvet tree skirt for traditional Christmas style.
• A wooden crate with wrapped gifts tucked around the bottom.
• A pretty fabric tree collar that coordinates with your ornaments.

You can also place a small grouping of wrapped packages nearby to make the display feel fuller without crowding the tree itself.

6. Give Your Skinny Tree a Special Place:

One of the best things about a pencil tree is that it fits into places where a wide tree simply won’t work.

Beside an Armchair

Create a cozy reading corner with a small tree, a soft throw, and a nearby lamp.

In the Kitchen

Use tiny red ornaments, miniature kitchen-themed decorations, or simple red bows to bring Christmas into an everyday space.

In a Bedroom

Choose soft lights and understated ornaments for a peaceful, festive retreat.

In an Entryway

A slender tree welcomes visitors with Christmas charm without taking up precious walking space.

7. Little Decorating Tricks that Make a Big Difference:

• Fluff every branch. Shape the branches outward and fill visible gaps before adding ornaments.
• Work in layers. Start with lights, add ribbon, then larger ornaments, and finish with small decorations.
• Repeat your colors. Use two or three main colors throughout the tree for a coordinated look.
• Don’t overload it. Let some greenery show. A little breathing room can make a skinny tree look elegant.
• Think vertically. Long ornaments, vertical ribbon tails, and a slender topper emphasize the tree’s graceful shape.
• Choose a proportional topper. A small star, narrow finial, or simple bow is usually better than an oversized decoration.

For safety, keep the tree and electrical cords away from heat sources, and use indoor-rated lights and decorations appropriate for your tree.

Choosing a Unified Theme:

Before decorating, choose a color theme for your skinny Christmas tree. If you live in a small space, you probably don’t want to overwhelm the room with too many colors.

The tree wouldn’t need to be grand or extravagant. Its charm comes from the details and the warm glow of the lights.

The secret to decorating a skinny Christmas tree is to work with its shape, not against it. A few thoughtful decorations can make it one of the coziest Christmas displays in your home.

Below are five images of skinny Christmas trees I found online.

Red + White Corner Christmas Tree:

The photo above is from Love Your Abode on Instagram.

Elegant Skinny Tree:

This elegant skinny Christmas tree features a color palette of gold, silver, white, mauve, and terracotta.

Minimalist Scandinavian Skinny Tree:

Scandinavian style is simpler and more minimalist. Scandinavian decor always has breathing room. This one looks gorgeous in a wicker basket, with a beige throw draped around the tree.

Blue + White Skinny Tree:

This skinny tabletop tree is decorated with gold ornaments and sits on a small table in an entryway.

Brown Woodland Skinny Tree:

This subtly decorated skinny tree looks like it could appear in a forest with a burlap-style cloth draped around it.

Reasons To Buy A Skinny Christmas Tree:

• Pencil trees are typically cheaper than the wider versions
• Skinny Christmas trees look nice in corners
• Slim trees fit well in small spaces, such as an apartment
• Compact trees are easier to store

Decorating a slim or pencil Christmas tree requires scaling back proportions so the tree looks full, but not crowded or bare.

A skinny Christmas tree can be just as charming as a full-sized tree, especially when you decorate it with a little thought and creativity.

Only your imagination limits how you decorate your skinny Christmas tree. I hope these tips I learned myself help you decorate your own.